Picture Perfect
by Ay Hua
Summary: A fluffy request. When love shows up with a paintbrush. HeeroxRelena.


Gundam Wing is the properties of Hajime Yadate-dono and Yoshiyuki Tomino-dono.

Author's notes: This story is a request of Windsheart, she wanted a fluffy and since well she's been bugging me every time we have class I had to give in. So here ya go babe one fluffy story coming your way!

Picture Perfect

Milliardo sat watching his sister outside with the dog running and playing like the child she had once been, but never allowed to be. It was 4 years after the endless waltz incident and Relena had become quite proficient in her dealings with the various leaders, but she wanted more out of life and that included dating and living a life of her own.

This year would signify the end of her Vice Foreign Minster ship. And for that Milliardo had decided that he was to have a painting done of the woman that she had become. In a few weeks she was to return to her job and her ritual of self-deprivation, making her stressed beyond her limits in an attempt to make the world a better place.

He looked to the phone…_I should call Quatra maybe he knows a fine painter_. Following his train of thought Milliardo got on the phone.

"So he'll be here in the morning? Good thank you Quatra, I really do appreciate it. Yes… thank you…goodbye." Milliardo finished on the phone just as Relena entered the living room. Milliardo turned to her, a broad smile firmly planted on his lips, something quite rare especially for him. "I have an idea!"

Relena arched an eyebrow wondering what had put her normally subdued brother on such a high note. "What's got you smiling so? Did Lu finally tell you to make an honest woman out if her?" It had become a running joke on how long the two would dance around the bush about their emotions towards one another. Milliardo's face broke a little revealing that he _had_ been thinking about it but decide to for go the match of words and let it slide.

"I have a plan for you to get something that I have wanted for a while."

"Oh? What pray tell might that be?" Relena's eyebrow's shot up once again, wondering what the ex Lighting Count might have up his sleeve.

"You are going to have your portrait painted." Milliardo smiled brightly, his glaring white teeth seeming to have a light of their own.

Relena started at him, a rebuttal on her lips but stopped seeing the joy that the proposition was giving Milliardo. So with a defeated sigh, let her shoulders fall and nodded her head.

"Great! Quatra said that he would send over an artist that he prefers, so that you two might get to know one another and so that he can get some preliminary drawings in."

Relena sat exhausted on the couch and asked "where are you going to be?"

"Oh…well I figured that you could get some alone time as well as getting the portrait done." Milliardo fell in beside her and leaned gently against her shoulder. He could feel her tense muscles she needed a break. This experience with the artist just might put her in a better mood then she had been for months now. He knew she missed the blue eyed, rag headed man that seemed to haunt her; he didn't particularly dislike Heero, but the fact that it had been 4 years since they had heard neither head nor tail of the guy didn't bode well for the ex gundam pilot. Milliardo knew that he had kept his promise to Relena. There was never a time that when the bad guys attacked that they had been caught and found tied and gagged where the Preventers would find them.

"You want to let me enjoy what little free time I have?" came Relena's voice, breaking through Milliardo's reverie. Relena had a gift at knowing what her brother was thinking. At times it was uncanny and yet at others, it seemed painfully right that she could read those closest to her so well.

Milliardo sighed "Yeah and well…Noin invited me to attend a Preventers dinner."

Relena grinned beside him, then could contain her laughter no longer and burst. Her musical laugh rang out through the modest house that the siblings shared. After what seemed like hours of happy, giddy, laughter Relena calmed down and wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. "Well then I hope you have a good time. And tell Lu good luck." And with that she rose to go make dinner, the sun was fading fast and her little romp in play land was over, there were still many things that needed to be done. She knew that Milliardo would leave for where ever he was going that night and wanted to make his favourite dinner, home made pizza, oddly enough, something so radically normal for such an abnormal man.

Milliardo watched after her and wondered what she meant, but thought better of asking her. He would ask the source of the trouble, Noin herself.

Dinner went off with out much of a hitch other then the fact that the neighbours dog (the one Relena had spent her afternoon entertaining) had decided that their house was better then it's masters. They spent most of their time scrambling about, trying to keep the dog out while Milliardo attempted to pack his bag. They hugged goodbye in the doorway and Milliardo gave her a brotherly peck on the forehead.

The next day seemed like any of the others that Relena had experienced, boredom, pure and undeterred. She was expecting the artist that Quatra had suggested to Milliardo; they had said that this person would be showing up, at one point or another. Milliardo never gave a precise time as to when this so-called great artist would show their face. If there was nothing that upset the little honey blonde more, was waiting for someone or something that might never appear. Just when Relena had decided that she was no longer in any way going to wait any longer her doorbell rang. Rising quickly so that she might get a chance to let into the irresponsible fool who would make her wait, she opened the door, without checking who it might be, her mouth open and ready to give the person on the other side of the door a piece of her mind, but ended up stopping short. There in her doorway was the face of the man she thought she would never see again. Heero's eyes were still as penetrating as before, they seemed to bore into her like they once did. They still seemed to see into her heart and see all her faults and her mistakes as well as all the things that she had wanted to tell him but never got the nerve.

Her mouth was open but no words seemed to emit it. "You should look before you open the door. There could have been someone dangerous." he said, little to no emotion in his comment.

Relena glared at Heero her mouth finally finding itself and spat back "well there's one problem with that statement…**you are dangerous**!" and she went to slam the door shut in his face, but found his boot firmly planted in-between the door and it's home in the wall.

"Don't do that Relena. Quatra called me telling me that you needed something. I came. I would highly doubt that Zechs would appreciate you throwing out the man who is to paint your portrait." He finished with a satisfied smirk, which seemed to fit his face and his annoyingly right personality.

Relena grumbled and grudgingly let him in. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see him but she had wanted him to come of his own volition. Not because Quatra had called him or that he was being paid by Milliardo, but because he wanted to see her. Sighing at her train of thought she stepped aside to allow him passage and noticed the bag at his side and it really looked like he painted, or at least that what he wanted everyone to believe.

And reading her mind he answered, "I really do know what I am doing. It's not a façade. I took time off a few years ago and took it up. I find it quite relaxing." It was then after he had entered her home and stood next to her that he gifted her with a small but real smile. His eyes lit up and Relena could see just how much Heero enjoyed whatever art he had taken up. In her surprise in seeing him smile so true she did not catch the underlying feeling that Heero was radiating. It was true that he was happy to be doing something that he enjoyed so much but what really made his day was the fact that he was sharing it with someone he cared deeply for.

"Well come in. Milliardo didn't tell me if I needed anything and Quatra was even less helpful." Relena spoke absently as she led Heero into the living room at the end of the hall. She didn't bother looking back, not really wanting to see his reaction (if any at all) to her and Milliardo's home. They had searched for a long time to find a place that was suitable for both of them. Somewhere just outside of the city not too far for Relena to drive into work everyday, and far enough so that unwanted visitors would stay away, and not find the ex Lighting Count alive and well. They had sparsely decorated the abode, neither of them having any real affinity to colour or style. So it was empty to say the least. The only thing that stood as a testament to there actually being people living there was the large wooden screen that separated the living room the kitchen. It was covered in photos taken during the times of war and of peace. Smiling faces looked out into the living room, eyes full of stars, a few of them were of Relena and Milliardo on happy occasions others were of the sad and sorrowful faces of the gundam pilots.

Heero registered all of it as he followed a still babbling Relena about. He finally clued in when she stood facing him her eyes unable to hide the uneasy feeling that she was experiencing. She was talking to him but his eyes were focused on her lips. They looked so soft and inviting. They puckered and pouted and she spoke, the lightly tinted lip-gloss that she wore sparked in the afternoon light. It took all of Heero's restraint not to drop his head right there and claim her lips, tell her the things that he had been wishing to for years. "Heero? Heero?" finally Relena's voice reached him as she stared intently into his eyes.

Clearing his throat Heero responded, "I would like to begin with a comfortable pose, sit as you would be as if relaxing. Take a book if you need to. I was requested to create a painting that would best portray who you are." Leaving her with her instructions Heero set his bag down and began taking things out, pencils, paper, and eraser (though it looked as new as the day that he had bought it, it was just something to occupy his other had so as to not bother the one that was working).

Relena opened and closed her mouth a few times and finally being defeated once again in two days looked around. Her comfy car sat just to the left with her book face down on the arm. She was enjoying her read when Heero had finally showed up. So shrugging she sat down comfortably and opened up her book and began to read once more. She knew that Heero was no great talker so she decided to ignore him until he was done. It turned out to be the best thing that she had done all week.

Heero regarded Relena as she found her place and settled in. Her small frame fit in perfectly in the large chair she had chosen. Her book stuck firmly in her eye line. He smirked, she remembered that he didn't talk much and seemed quite happy with just letting him do his thing and when he was ready, he would talk to her. He nodded to himself, '_I'm glad this is the woman that I have chosen, not some flake that would want things from me that I am unable to give'_, he thought. So for the next few hours Heero circled Relena in her chair drawing sketches of her from almost every angle. Trying but not really finding one that really suited her, much to Heero's carnage. He was a professional, in everything that he did. Why was this testing him so much? What was it about this former queen of the world that had him so stumped? Then late that night with only the light of the full moon illuminating the room he realised it. He was unable to capture her because she was not looking at him. "Relena?" he questioned.

Relena raised her head. The time had flown by while she felt Heero's comforting presence around her. She had numbly noticed that he had stopped but did not question it. He was the one leading this dance and if there was a problem then he would say something, and given time he did. "What is it Heero?" she stifled a yawn as she regarded the young man.

"I need you to look at me."

Relena cocked her head to the side, "why?"

"I can't get your feelings without your eyes. Besides, they are beautiful in this light." Heero stopped as he realised what he had said. Throughout the evening he had been wishing that her eyes were on him instead of the book in her hands, but felt that he could do his job without such flaky extras, apparently he was wrong.

Relena regarded him somewhat stunned, had Heero just said what she thought he said. Relena mentally slapped herself, _'of course not, Heero was not the sentimental type'_, she thought, it was probably a way to make her feel more comfortable. She smiled sweetly and leaned over the armrest and looked Heero in the eye. "Thank you but you don't have to say those kinds of things to make me feel comfortable. I was always happy with you near by."

Seeing her taking what he had said as mere jest Heero mentally sighed. She didn't see it, but then again how could she? His feelings for her had always been carefully hidden inside, he didn't want her hurt, either by her knowing that _he_ loved her but the fact that he could not give her a normal life or the fact that _she_ was unable to love a creature like him. It was then that he saw who she was and what he needed to paint. "Wait Relena stop, don't move from that spot." Heero began furiously sketching her position.

Finally sighing and sitting back Heero was done. Relena sprang from the chair and plopped herself down, right next to Heero, her hands resting on his leg and her shoulder brushing up against his chest. She was so close that Heero could smell her light scent. His body was reacting of its own accord. He could feel the heat spreading throughout him, and mentally slapped himself for such primal reactions. Relena was worth far more then that.

"Wow." She whispered as she gazed at the drawing in his lap, totally oblivious to Heero's reactions to her being so close. "Quatra was right, you are good. Milliardo will be more then happy with this portrait when you are done." She turned to him to see his reaction when both their stomachs growled with protest. It had been hours since lunch and their bodies were protesting their ill treatment. Looking down at her stomach and glaring daggers at it for interrupting them she sighed, "well looks like our stomachs have another thought in mind," rising she continued "well come on Heero I'll feed you and since it's late you can have the guest room. It's not very big but I doubt you'll mind." Relena continued as she walked to the kitchen, not noticing the red that had spread across Heero's face.

She was doing things to him that he had never thought of before. When their stomachs had growled in unison and she had glanced down at hers, he had wanted nothing more then to have tossed her on her back and kissed her senseless. Giving her stomach something to really complain about. But now she stood at the stove, she had mentioned something about a can of soup and left over pizza. Numbly Heero rose and joined her. She hummed happily and she stirred the pot in front of her. Not looking up she said, "there is left over pizza in the fridge. Maybe two or three pieces, Milliardo likes to have them for a midnight snack so there aren't enough for both of us, so I got us some soup."

Heero watched her as he went about completing the task of getting the leftovers and putting them in the microwave. He paused as the food was re-heated, and watched Relena. This feeling that he felt whenever he was near her grew. There they stood doing something so mundane and normal. He cherished the feeling of normality. He had the odd feeling that he could do this for the rest of his life. Standing here while his beautiful wife cooking, even going as far as imaging children playing in the living room. He could see himself standing behind Relena and kissing her neck while she tried to cook. Her scolding him for not looking after the kids, and disturbing her while she cooked. Heero was so deep in his thoughts that he never realised that he had done just that. He now stood behind Relena his hands resting on either side of the oven. Relena had turned when she felt a presence behind her; never had she expected it to be Heero. She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on but found her breath taken away from her. There they stood lips locked in a gentle loving kiss. Relena relaxed into Heero's arms and allowed herself to pretend that this was real. That Heero really was kissing her that they really were kissing in the kitchen and that he really did love her. It was when she felt the heat from the oven that she realised it _was_ all real. Relena gasped against Heero's lips and shoved him back as she went with him, moving quickly away from the oven.

There they stood, Relena still clutching her spoon, her other hand brushing off the feeling of fire on her lower back. Heero looked back at her as if he was seeing things, both of them wondering what exactly had happened.

'_Were we actually kissing?'_ questioned Relena, her lips red and plumped by Heero's touch.

'_Damn it! I actually kissed her, now she knows, how am I going to explain this?'_ raged Heero, even though his conscious mind ran itself ragged thinking of a way out of this situation his inner mind thought. She hadn't pulled away, but she actually leaned into the kiss and kissed back. She was not getting mad at him, she was though starting intently at him, and gods did he ever want to kiss her again. Her lips were so soft and tasted of sugar.

Relena wanted to say something but found that her throat was dry, but she didn't desire water, she wanted Heero. She wanted to quench her thirst against his mouth. So steeling herself for disappointment she dashed the few feet to Heero and planted her lips on him once again. She was taking her chances, if it were a mistake then her hopes would be dashed but if he really did care for her, she had to force him to acknowledge those feelings.

They stood there; Heero looking down on Relena in shock and Relena with her eyes closed grasping on to Heero. Finally admitting defeat, Heero wrapped his arms around Relena. Holding her close and supporting her, because the moment that he relented to her she felt her knees go weak. Releasing her Heero pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed and he breathed her in. "God Relena what do you do to me?" he questioned.

Relena smirked even though neither one of them could see it. "I love you, you big dope. Don't even make me wait like this ever again."

Heero as smirked, and even went as far as a chuckle. "I'm sorry Relena, you wont have to wait any longer." And Heero claimed her lips once again.

Diner was forgotten as the lovers touched and explored one another for the first time. That night they forgot all their troubles and made plans for the future.

Milliardo stood before the covered painting that (as he found out after returning home) that Heero had painted. It had been three months since their little adventure and Heero had come out of hiding. They had been seeing one another since then, Milliardo being the ever-vigilant brother actually followed them on their dates. Noin thought it stupid and over protective, but never really trying to stop him. This night though, Heero had brought over the painting since he was taking Relena out for dinner. Relena convinced Milliardo to stay in and look at the painting and when they got back to tell Heero if he liked it or not. Now he stood looking at the sheet thinking that he could see through the damn thing.

"Just take it off Zechs." Implored Noin. She stood behind him a glass of wine in her hand. She had tried during the Preventer dinner to get some sort of declaration but received nothing. Relena had tried but failed as well, the next one on the list to try was Heero, reluctant though he was. But tonight was a chance for the two of them to have sometime to themselves. But Zechs kept staring at the painting, a mix of different emotions crossing his majestic features.

"I don't know. I have no idea what that kid could have painted. It might not be decent." And continued to scowl.

Sighing Noin said "well we wont know until we look." And with that she flung the sheet off the painting. There sat Relena a soft smile on her lips, her body braced on the shoulder of her favourite chair, but what caught their attention was the look in her eyes. They peered out at the viewer, her eyes were pleasant and tender, and it felt as though those eyes and that smile were meant for the viewer and the viewer alone. Milliardo leaned forward wanting to reach out and touch her, just as he would have if she were really there.

It was then that Noin pointed to the painting, at something that they had originally skipped over. Relena's left hand sat braced on her bent elbow, but there was something different. A large diamond ring was perched on her ring finger. Both Milliardo and Noin leaned closer to the painting to examine it. Then Noin gulped loudly and stood back waiting for Zechs to explode.

Milliardo stared open mouthed at what he was seeing. Blinking finally he leaned back and said through clenched teeth "damn him, damn him to hell. He was supposed to ask me first the little bastard."

Noin just shook her head. She had noticed Relena pass Heero a small travel bag before they left. They had planed this, the little sneaks. They had left for a while allowing Milliardo to calm down before they got back. '_Fine then,'_ thought Noin, _'I can give my regards when they get back.'_ and went to deal with the distraught brother.

Outside a set of eyes watched from the woods as the tall brunette dealt with a raging blonde. Their smiles evident in the fading light, they turned and left hand in hand. They would deal with the discontented brother soon enough. Right now they were more concerned with each other.


End file.
